Earlier today (4 Sept '02) I found a Great White Heron (currently classified as
a white form/subspecies of the Great Blue Heron) at Briery Creek Lake WMA in
central Prince Edward County. I watched the bird from three parking areas near
the dam along state route 790 (Briery Lake Road) from about 1150-1225. It spent
most of its time perched on tree stumps that extend from the water and never
came to shore. It moved from perch to perch fairly frequently but, being the
only big white bird around, it wasn't hard to refind when it moved to a
different area. It once landed and walked around on one of the concrete
drainage control structures just above the dam. I took several photographs.
If anyone wants to look for this heron, the entrance to the WMA is reached by
taking US 15 south from the middle of three exits off the US 460 / US 15 bypass
around Farmville. Immediately south of this middle exit is a traffic light; the
entrance road to the Briery Creek Lake dam area (route 790) is 5.3 miles south
from this traffic light on the right. There's a brown WMA sign marking the road
as well as typical VDOT signs. The entrance road passes two parking lots on the
left and dead ends in a third lot. I saw the heron from all three parking lots,
though it spent most of its time near the first one, nearest the dam, while I
was watching it. The area is shown on DeLorme VA atlas page 46, C-1.
Although I have seen Great Egrets at Briery Creek Lake several times and there
have been a few in the area this summer, there were none around this morning
for comparison, nor were there any "blue" Great Blue Herons. This is at least
the second report of a Great White Heron in Virginia this year, following the
one from South Holston Lake (Washington Co.) last month.
Have fun -
Mike Stinson
Dillwyn, VA
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